| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| marlyn |
Posted - Jan 20 2005 : 09:54:47 AM
Hello everyone.
I am so happy to have found this site.I have been reading Mary Janes Farm magazines and love them.
My husband and I and our five children live on a 200 acre farm near Norwood Ontario. We have cattle, sheep, chickens, cats and dogs. We grow our own feed and freerange our animals.
Our children are home schooled, which is very agreeable to us all.
I am a knitter, sheering and spinning my own wool. I love to quilt and have a queen size quilt in the frame calling me right now. I sew our own clothes right down to the underwear and smock all the girls dresses and nighties. Stamping and scrap booking are my newest hobby as the kids love to help with this.
In the summer we have a large garden and can our own produce.
At present it is very cold up here at -33C ( -24F) but the scenery from my circ 1880 farm house over the sparkling snow is delightful.
When it is this cold I seem to have half the banr in the house, cats, dogs and small chickens ( born in Dec!!). Tractor won't start. My grey water system from the wash tub is frozen and I have to remove water out of the house by the buckets. We are burning too much firewood in the cookstove. But I wouldn't have it any other way.
I am glad I have found alike friends.
Marlyn
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| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| marlyn |
Posted - Mar 22 2005 : 12:00:15 PM
Hello friends
Spring has finally sprung here. I actually can see some grass and do hear the flies hatching out of the ground. Gross!!
Last week Sarah ( I think her name was??) e-mailed me about a magazine( farm and garden?). The e-mail has gone lost-- somewhere? and I would like her e-mail address so I can reply to her about lambing.
Please Sarah if you read this e-mail me back.
Thanks
Simply Marlyn |
| jpbluesky |
Posted - Mar 16 2005 : 4:33:57 PM
Animals are way smarter and more full of humor than we are sometimes! lOVE THESE STORIES!
jpbluesky |
| MeadowLark |
Posted - Mar 16 2005 : 3:46:08 PM
Funny "critter" stories! Robin your DH and the livestock reminds me of my DH and his dexters. He grew up on a dairy farm and has always had a way with the bovine! It's like they speak the same lanquage...One of our dexter heifers bellyaches and whines when DH walks up, and nudges him continuosly wanting a loaf of old bread rolls. We get "feed bags" at our local day old bake shop for one dollar and they are full of old and still quite servicable breads, pastries, rolls for the cows to enjoy. It's a huge bag and when the cows see him lugging it to the shed they "have a cow"... We also had a little stud pony that was so arnry... he would sneak up behind DH and pull the tools out of his tool pouch on the back of his jeans, just to get his attention. Sometimes if it did'nt work he would bite him on his backside, ouch! THAT would get his attention!
"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I'll meet you there." Rumi, 13th century. |
| Eileen |
Posted - Mar 16 2005 : 09:05:30 AM
I am sitting here with tears rolling down my cheeks and I still cannot stop laughing! This is the best way ever to wake up in the morning. Get the day off with a good laugh and all of you fine folk who have such a wonderful sense of humor. I think country folk have it way better'n our citified relatives.
We adopted my mothers pomeranian a couple of years ago and it took a long time for our old cat to accept him but now she loves him. Each morning she weaves in and out all around him giving him the typical cat loves and rubs while I prepare their breakfast. He is not sure what to do with this behavior so sits there stoically while she loves him up with a worried look on his face like he is waiting for her to slap him. Then when they are outside, he being a typical pomeranian, runs circles around her while she looks at him with suspicion, wondering what is expected of her. He then tags her and takes off running expecting her to follow. She just plunks her bottom down and looks daggers at him ! He then tags her again and again takes off running around the house expecting her to be in hot pursuit but she just acts embarrased . This game keeps up until I am laughing myself silly.
Our animal friends are the most wonderful!
Eileen
songbird; singing joy to the earth |
| jpbluesky |
Posted - Mar 16 2005 : 04:23:46 AM
Malyn - your son sounds like a wonderful guy! Thanks for sharing that information with us. My son-in-law's brother is in Mexico doing much the same kind of thing. Missionary work and he teaches building techniques. He is helping a rural area build a church and also helps them on their homes and farms.
Robin, your post was hysterical. I could just see your husband playing tag with the cow. So funny! It reminded me of that scene in the movie "Dances With Wolves". Maybe the Indian name for your husband should be "Dances with Cows". :)
All of our pets love my hubby best, too. When we got married I had a dog who then decided he would switch owners and become my husband's dog. Our last little dog went blind, and yet he always knew to follow my husband everywhere. He needed the smell that he associated with my husband I guess. Not to say that my husband smells, but you know what I mean.
jpbluesky |
| marlyn |
Posted - Mar 15 2005 : 7:42:43 PM
jpbluesky
My eldest son has been living in Hungary and now Romania for the last two years. He teaches English at the Universities and is a missionary with the wheat farm co-ops there, teaching them the North American trade of wheat farming. He went there as a missionary and works teaching to cover his expenses. He is the greatest farmer you could ever know and I miss him here on the farm. But we must let them spread their wings and fly. He will be home for awhile in July. Hummmmm just in time for second cut of hay!!
Simply Marlyn |
| jpbluesky |
Posted - Mar 15 2005 : 3:31:19 PM
Marlyn, maybe I missed this, but why is your son living in Romania? It must have been so wonderful to see his face.
jpbluesky |
| ThymeForEweFarm |
Posted - Mar 15 2005 : 3:31:02 PM
My husband brings our goats and cow treats. He plays tag in the pasture with the cow - hysterically funny. She loves it. He touches her and she runs off snorting and kicking (not being mean). She races back across the pasture, comes to a screeching halt and then waits for him to walk up on her. He touches her and off she goes again. We're simple people. It obviously doesn't take much to amuse us!
I can stand at the gate and yell to the livestock until I'm blue in the face. DH can pull into the drive way, step out of the truck and yell to them and they're suddenly crashing out of the woods. The will be cow bellowing to him while she kicks up her heals. The goats are running as fast as they can run. I try not to take it personally but sheesh, they really do like him better.
Robin
Thyme For Ewe Farm
www.thymeforewe.com |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - Mar 15 2005 : 06:28:59 AM
I meant special PET not pen.
Jenny in Utah
Bloom where you are planted! |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - Mar 15 2005 : 06:27:43 AM
Isnt' that funny how they do that...my critters don't make a sound when my husband is in the back yard or garage..visible from the back of the property...where all their pens are..but if I even go out the back door and they can't see me they know its me and start calling! If I go in the laundry room (there are windows to the back yard) they know I am there even if the curtains are closed. Especially my little angora doe..a special pen in the closest pen to the house.
Jenny in Utah
Bloom where you are planted! |
| marlyn |
Posted - Mar 15 2005 : 05:30:24 AM
Sorry Bramble, I forget we have different terms for things up here. The curling briar is the big curling championship in Canada. Curling as in the sport not a weed. Curling is a big thing for country folks. Every small community has a curling rink, and folks curl and socialize. Hockey of course is the biggest sport but with no NHL on TV this year they have been putting on all the curling championship and all of Canada has been watching it. Normally it would only come on after everyone was in bed.
Margaret we are to get to -4C today but it was still -18 last night. In case our American friends don't know this we Canadians always talk about the weather!! We too have a cookstove but also a hugh old house and a hubby with arthritis. The house it at times too hot for me, even when I am not having my " tropical breeze" days. ( mid-life thing!)
Shelly I have just begun to do some stamping. As you said earlier in the forum stamping in Canada is an expensive hobby. I have a few Victorian stamps, mostly boarders, leaves, hearts and of course sheep!
I have begun to make my own stamping cards. In the past my greeting cards were with photo's of new born lambs or fabric patchwork mimi's. But I am enjoying the stamping. In the fall when my son was home from Romania we took a family photo under the colourful maple tree. I made a framed card using a maple leaf stamp and stamped it is fall colours. The result was wonderful. Other then that I really have to learn some new techniques.
Lambing finished this morning. I am so happy and tired. New calf in the barn too this morning. At least calves don't have to come in the kitchen to warm up and dry off. Sometime we have up to 20 lambs by the woodstove in a night. Its funny because hubby can come down to stoke up the cookstove in the middle of the night but I think they smell me. I just have to touch the bottom step in the kitchen and they wake up Maaaaaaaaaaaa!
Simply Marlyn
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| bramble |
Posted - Mar 14 2005 : 2:20:00 PM
Merci beaucoup, Margret. I hadn't even thought of "that" curling! Silly me , you can see my head is always in the garden. I send you warm thoughts and hopefully weather soon! We begin spring break next Wednesday, strange to think it's been so cold the forsythia might not bloom for Easter. The "Big Rabbit" might need snow shoes this year.
Be well!
with a happy heart |
| shelley ginger |
Posted - Mar 14 2005 : 11:43:39 AM
...and didn't there used to be a television show called "Canadian Bonspiel" on (probably CBC)?? Ah, memories...and how about "Hinterland's Who's Who"?? Any Canadian girls here remember that??
Hugs...Shelley
quote:
Originally posted by prairiemaid
bramble, the curling briar or brier is the competition or bonspiel that determines the curling champions of Canada!
We'll be friends until we're blue in the hair. |
| shelley ginger |
Posted - Mar 14 2005 : 11:41:40 AM
Hi Marlyn...
Thanks for the visit to our webpage. I'm happy you stopped by.
Ah...let's see...Rebecca. Well...she is a pixie and a gypsy and a truck driver all rolled into one. (Her Nanny added the truck driver part, lol and it's true!!) She has a number of different nicknames and 'Becca Doodle Do is just one of them. Her Daddy and I usually call that and add "wake up!!" on the end as if we're the rooster calling it!!
Actually I'm from Simcoe (the town) which is down on by Lake Erie near Brantford. I've visited Peterborough many times though, and I love that area. We used to go camping at Omeemee!!
Do you do a lot of stamping Marlyn?? I'm absolutely hooked on it!!
Hugs...Shelley
We'll be friends until we're blue in the hair. |
| prairiemaid |
Posted - Mar 14 2005 : 11:17:32 AM
bramble, the curling briar or brier is the competition or bonspiel that determines the curling champions of Canada! |
| prairiemaid |
Posted - Mar 14 2005 : 11:10:09 AM
Marlyn, we had that warmer weather 2 weeks ago but only for a couple days. I didn't notice much overall melting. We have at least 2 ft of snow, and some really big drifts. I can't even get to my clothesline! Last week was cccold. Our lows were around -25C. I agree that having the sun shining sure helps. Today is much nicer, my thermometer says +3C! But it's cloudy. The farmer's almanac says warm for the last week of March (for us here) so I'm holding on to that. I feel for you having to buy more oil. Gas prices just went up again here. We have an oil furnace also but don't use it much. We heat with the woodstove. Our spring break starts Good Friday. Congrats on the new lambs! |
| bramble |
Posted - Mar 14 2005 : 09:56:54 AM
The ever curious me here, what is curling briar and why did it begin, in particular during the warm spell? We have cats briar which is a noxious weed that grows in the underbrush with a vining habit and rose like thorns. Makes wild grapevine and honeysuckle seem down right civilized!
with a happy heart |
| marlyn |
Posted - Mar 14 2005 : 06:21:00 AM
Margaret
Please don't tell me about more cold spells! We always get what you just had and I am getting tired of the cold. I went downstairs to the furnace this morning and see that I have 1/4 tank of oil left. Won't do till the end of April. Drats!!!! One more $400. bill of oil to get us through this winter. Its been an expensive one.
Did you get the warm spell last week when the curling briar began. We heard about you getting temperatures around 10C? WE have been sitting at -14C throughout the day for over a week. But I will not complain too hard because at least there is sunshine and the clothes can dry outside. They come in frozen boards but dry!
Its spring break here for the schools so my kids are on a sort of half day break so they can be with friends that go to school. Mom's taxi service is in full gear. I am down to the last few lambings. Phew. I love it but am always glad when it is over. Sort of like a pregnancy.
Simply Marlyn |
| jpbluesky |
Posted - Mar 11 2005 : 2:29:16 PM
Welcome, Canadian girls! I love reading your posts, and for some reason they remind me of the U.S. when I was a child. I think you still have the rural identity that this country used to enjoy on a wide scale but now seems to have on a small scale, even though we still have vast amounts of fields and farms. It warms my heart to hear of your lambs, your small towns and of ice skating on the roads. So good to have you here among us on this site, dear neighbors.
jpbluesky |
| prairiemaid |
Posted - Mar 11 2005 : 2:12:08 PM
Hello Marlyn!! Welcome from Manitoba! We are in a cold snap right now which does nothing for me. I am so anxious to get digging in the dirt!
I have goats, chickens, 1 house cat and a dog.
Nice to have you here. |
| Eileen |
Posted - Mar 11 2005 : 10:09:09 AM
Marlyn and Shelly,
We have a son who is 30 now but as a child he was Alan Doodle. Such a fun nick name. He was our happy go lucky child, never seemed to have a care in the world plus he loved to draw and his favorite pastime was with the crayons and a piece of paper. I think that is where his nickname started.
When my daughter was small I did a few smoking projects that are still in the ceder chest awaiting a little gran daughter.
I also love to quilt, knit, crochet and many other art pas times when I have the time.
I have been learning to spin this winter and am finding it challenging but am proud of the skeins I have made so far. I have my loom set up and will be warping it soon to make something from my first spinnings.
Have always wanted to have a few sheep of my own but husband had sheep when growing up and does not want them again. I get my wool from friends who are lucky enough to have their own sheep.
Welcome to the forum.
Hi Aunt Jenny!
Eileen
songbird; singing joy to the earth |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - Mar 11 2005 : 07:17:10 AM
That is wonderful..the lambing I mean. I didn't breed my ewes this year...lack of a ram..it won't happen again..I miss the lambing. I only have 4 ewes right now. I have 3 goats (1 angora and 2 dairy goats) who are all due to kid in the next couple weeks..so I will be doing the night checks and no sleep things soon. I will be putting up lights tonight and gettting my "kit" ready. Looks like it will be at least a few more days though for the first one. That IS a shame about the beef cattle. You HAVE been busy!!
Jenny in Utah
Bloom where you are planted! |
| marlyn |
Posted - Mar 11 2005 : 06:02:37 AM
Hi Shelly
I just looked at your web page. Very nice. I see you have two daughters with very old fashioned names. But why do you call Rebecca, rebecca Doodles?? I question this because my youngest daughters nick name is also Doodles. Why I haven't a clue? It began when she was a toddler and stuck. her real name is Grace and we call her Gracie Doodles???
Where in Simcoe did you come from? I live near Norwood ON about 38 km east of Peterborough. Its a small town of one grocery store, hardware store ,a drug store and gas station. Population less then 1000 but lots of farmers. Big time dairy in this area. One is never thinks twice taking the tractor into town wearing coveralls and rubber boots.
I have been smocking since my eldest son ( now 24) was a baby. At one time about 18 years ago it became popular again but now its considered old fashioned. Which of course I love. I just finished counter changing smocking a dress for Grace. It is only the second time I have counter changed. I prefer the Australian smocking with lots of bullion roses in them.
I have been doing the family history in scrap booking and having a ball with it. Peterborough now ( finally) have a scarp booking store but still the supplies aren't what I see in the American books and magazines. Again I like rich Victorian style things and I can't find them up here.
We are having yet another snow storm up here. It has been -28C night after night. The laneway is an ice rink and believe it or not the kids have been skating on it daily. Free ice time! I am so looking forward to spring.
Hi Jenny
I have read much of you letters in this forum. You asked what sheep I have? I have Romney and the reason I haven't been into Mary Jane's forum in a few weeks is because I have been lambing. My flock is now well over 100 again. We also have dairy cattle and beef. Because of BSE we didn't breed any of our beef last year. Its a sham but I can't make money on it till the boarder opens up again. Dairy calf all year round. Anyway sheep birth mostly at night which means a lot of nights in the barn and then to home school the kids throughout the day. Havic with the weather. Lets say I have just been busy.
Simply Marlyn |
| Aunt Jenny |
Posted - Mar 05 2005 : 7:32:18 PM
Hi Marlyn..welcome to the family. I would love to learn to smock.
YOu sound like you will fit right in here. What breeds of sheep do you have. I only have a few but love having my own wool supply!
Jenny in Utah
Bloom where you are planted! |
| shelley ginger |
Posted - Mar 05 2005 : 12:56:36 PM
Hi Marlyn!!
I'm new here...just found this site last night, and I'm already enjoying it so much. I live in New York state now, but I'm originally from Simcoe, Ontario. I saw "Canadian Farm Girl" and I had to stop and say hello!!
I read that you do smocking...and I do too!! Now how often do you find another smocker?? I also do stamping and I'm just getting into scrapbooking. Do you find it difficult to find the stamps at a reasonable price?? My Aunt is a stamper in Ontario and she finds the prices really high.
Would love to hear from you.
Visit our website if you'd like...
http://www.erikandshelley.com
Shelley
quote:
Originally posted by marlyn
Hello everyone.
I am so happy to have found this site.I have been reading Mary Janes Farm magazines and love them.
My husband and I and our five children live on a 200 acre farm near Norwood Ontario. We have cattle, sheep, chickens, cats and dogs. We grow our own feed and freerange our animals.
Our children are home schooled, which is very agreeable to us all.
I am a knitter, sheering and spinning my own wool. I love to quilt and have a queen size quilt in the frame calling me right now. I sew our own clothes right down to the underwear and smock all the girls dresses and nighties. Stamping and scrap booking are my newest hobby as the kids love to help with this.
In the summer we have a large garden and can our own produce.
At present it is very cold up here at -33C ( -24F) but the scenery from my circ 1880 farm house over the sparkling snow is delightful.
When it is this cold I seem to have half the banr in the house, cats, dogs and small chickens ( born in Dec!!). Tractor won't start. My grey water system from the wash tub is frozen and I have to remove water out of the house by the buckets. We are burning too much firewood in the cookstove. But I wouldn't have it any other way.
I am glad I have found alike friends.
Marlyn
We'll be friends until we're blue in the hair. |
